A prospective study about prescribing trends and usage of nsaids among arthritis patients

Abstract

Background: Pharmacists are the custodians of drugs thus their education, training, behaviors and experiences would affect the future drug use at community and hospital pharmacies. Arthritis is a common disease that causes substantial morbidity in most patients and premature mortality in many. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate the disease condition, treatment practices and proper guidelines of the arthritis in hospitals (Government and Private). To overcome and proper management of the associated complications different medications may need to be used. Method: This study was done based on the survey of prescribed medication to find out the pattern and use of medication during arthritis. Prescriptions were collected from different private and government hospitals, Pakistan. Statistical analysis was done using Microsoft Excel. Results: After evaluation of the prescription it was seen that arthritis more prevalent in females and usually occur at age of above 30 years. NSAIDs, Supplements, Analgesics and PPIs were also abundant among other classes. Conclusion: The study concluded that most of the patients were treated with combination therapy and the most frequently prescribed class of arthritic drugs was NSAIDs and Supplements. Health practitioners as well as patient need to follow standard guideline or follow-up for medication to minimize further complication and to ensure a healthy nation.